The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1959)

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1959)

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The Black Door
Brain That Would Not Die
The Brain That Would Not Die
Brain That Wouldn't Die
The Head That Would Not Die
The Head That Wouldn't Die

Tagline(s):	Alive...Without a Body...Fed by an Unspeakable Horror from Hell!
	She Lost Her Body -- But Not Her EVIL MIND!
	Alive...Without a Body Fed by an Unspeakable Horror from Hell! [sic.]

Nomination Year: 1993

SYNOPSIS: A scientist discovers a way to preserve a human head so that the brain can be kept alive indefinitely. That same day (wouldn't you know it), he and his fiancee are in a car accident and she is killed. He keeps her head alive in a pan down in his basement, along with his other grotesque experiments. As he goes out shopping for a new body for his fiancee, the suicidal head (which can somehow talk without lungs) grows in mental power. The head establishes a psychic rapport with the nearby "creature in the closet," which she unleashes, finally fulfilling her death wish while taking a few others along with her.

Bryan Cassidy

Smithee Award Nominations

Best One-Liner
Let's Put Our Heads Together Head, to Closet Creature: "I am only a head...and you're whatever you are...but together, we're strong!"

Crummiest Ending

Quit While You're a Head

The misguided scientist comes down the stairs with the unconscious body of a model he once dated -- he lured her and drugged her, planning to use the body in order to transplant the head onto it. But the head has other plans. Fearing disruption, the doctor puts tape on the head's mouth. But Jan in the Pan uses her funky telepathy to make the Closet Creature act up. Curious, the doctor conveniently goes over and puts his back to the closet. Instantly, a meaty arm comes crashing through the wooden door and begins choking the mad doctor to death. In the struggle, script-specific chemicals are spilled, which start a roaring fire in the basement. The doc dies, largely of embarrassment. With the doctor dead, the "Closet Thing" takes the body of the girl upstairs, leaving the head to burn. In a dramatic final line, the head says, to no-one in particular: "I told you to let me die." We know how she feels and couldn't agree more.

Directors

Director	Claim to Fame
Joseph Green	Directed only this and The Perils of P.K..

Cast

Actor	Character	Claim to Fame
Jason Evers	Dr. Bill Cortner	AKA "Herb Evers," he was in The Brain That Would Not Die, Claws, and Basket Case 2, which would be his final role. Was in a LOT of '60s-through'80s TV.
Virginia Leith	Jan Compton	The infamous "Jan in the Pan," the titular [The] Brain/Head That Would Not/Wouldn't Die. Also Linda Sherman in Violent Saturday and Ellen Kingship in A Kiss Before Dying (1956).
Marilyn Hanold	Peggy Howard	Bombshell who was a murdered callgirl in The Brain/Head That Would Not Die. Sadly never made it much bigger than eye candy bit parts on TV shows.
Anthony La Penna	Kurt	AKA "Antony La Penna," "Leslie Daniels," "Leslie Daniel," "J.A. La Penna," or "Tony La Penna," he ran an acting school in Grennwich Village. Hope he had a generous refund policy. Narrated the English version of 1983's Hercules.
Eddie Carmel	The Monster	Called "The Jewish Giant," he was one of the tallest men on Earth; was in the circus. As for movies, it was this, Gorax in 50,000 B.C. (Before Clothing) (ugh), and a giant in Sisters.
Sammy Petrillo	Art (Uncredited)	Nightclub comedian who was basically a Jerry Lewis ripoff, er, imitator. Got second billing in Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. But...that's about it.


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